Ever wondered whether you should upskill your staff in digital media? Here are 5 reasons why you definitely should:

1. You are getting poor results for your efforts on digital media

It might seem that you spend a considerable amount of time on digital platforms each week. Whether you are posting to Twitter or LinkedIn, creating paid ads or making multiple YouTube videos, sometimes it can seem that you’re not getting the traction you think you deserve for your efforts. Even when there is a smattering of engagement, it often doesn’t lead to a sale. So what are you doing wrong?

Without some sort of coordinated effort, what you do in the digital space will make no impact. What you need is a strategy. Strategy is all about working towards your goals with cohesive campaigns that complement and reflect what you are doing in your other marketing activities. Learning how to put a digital marketing strategy together that brings results is one of the most important things you can do for your business.

2. You are missing opportunities for new business

If you have never investigated the potential of digital media for your business, you are missing out on the massive opportunities it has to offer. From advertising your product or service online to a highly targeted audience of potential customers to connecting and interacting regularly with your target market on social media, building your online presence leads to sales and that’s what keeps us in business. Training your staff in these vital digital skills will ensure you capitalise on all digital platforms that can bring you new business.

3. You are out of touch with your customers

Digital media can be used to keep in touch with customers. Maintaining a level of contact with your customers and building a relationship with them keeps your business top of mind for your customers, so it’s you they think of before your competitors. Learn how to best use email marketing to create a rapport with your target market. Learn how to segment your market and tailor your information accordingly. Learn how to create effective calls to action, write impactful content and bring traffic to your website. Learn how to see which emails have had the best response and how to build your email marketing list.

4. You are falling behind your competitors

The digital world is evolving fast and keeping up with current trends, algorithms and new technologies requires a time and effort for already busy business owners. Those businesses that invest in training their staff in digital media will stay ahead of the competition. Those that don’t will fall behind and might eventually go out of business.

5. Your business can’t be found in the search engine results

If you google your business name, product or service, how close to the top of the search does your business appear? Are you on page one? Two? Or even further back in the slush pile that is page three and beyond? Are you fed up of seeing your competitors appearing above you in the search results? Search engine optimisation is part art, part science, and there are certain techniques that you can employ today to make some big changes to your search results.

Digital marketing training can show you how to find your customers online, give them the information they need at the time they need it and successfully convert leads. Andy Harrison is one of the UK’s leading digital media trainers. Find out more about his digital marketing courses here.